Emrys Dragon Rider
by Jupitere
Summary: When Merlin's mother dies, she tells Merlin of her uncle in Alagaësia. Merlin decides to go find the last family she has left. But what will that do to Camelot and it's Destiny? and what is that wierd glowing scar in Merlin's hand, and what does Aithusa have to do with this? After Galbatorix' downfall. Maybe a bit OOC. BAMF!Merlin fem!Merlin Dragon Rider!Merlin eventual Merleon.
1. New Hope

Chapter 1

Merlin stood by the ashes of the funeral pyre, the remains of the fire that burned her mother's remains. Hunith had died from an unknown disease, and Merlin just barely made it in time to see her.

 _~Flashback~_

 _Merlin burst through the doors of her old home, her bag full of medicines from Gaius. As she reached her mother's bed, the older woman grabbed her hand._

" _Merlin. Please… listen to me… your father…" her voice raspy and broken._

" _I know mother. I met him… but… bandits killed him. I should have told you. I'm sorry." Tears ran down Merlins cheeks._

" _I'm glad… you should know this… your father had a brother… in this country called… Alagaësia… his name is Brom… find him… he is your family."_

" _Yes, mother. I love you!" Hunith smiled at this._

" _And I love you even more… my dear girl. I am proud of you… I will always be… I forgive you… for all mistakes… you have ever… made. Now… I can see my… dear Balinor again… thank you… my dear little Merlin." With that, Hunith released her last breath, and fell into eternal sleep with a smile on her face._

 _~Flashback over~_

As Merlin arrived back in Camelot, her mind was already set. If her father had a brother, then maybe, just maybe, she wasn't the last of her kind. When she came into Gaius chambers, he was already waiting for her, with a bowl of stew in his hand. As they sat down, she could see that he knew what was on her mind. Well, almost.

"Did you get to see you mother?" he asked gently.

"Yes. I did. She told me that my father had a brother in another country. That he is my last family. I'm considering going to look for him. At least to tell him that his brother passed away." She said sadly.

"What country?"

"Alagaësia, where ever that is." He raised his eyebrows.

"Merlin you should know this; Alagaësia is a kingdom of magic. Dragons live there. The last King was a tyrant, and he only was overthrown about the same time Uther died. So if you do go, promise me to be careful."

"…"

"Merlin? Are you alright?" Gaius asked, concerned for his ward.

"I'm going."

Gaius was shocked to hear her decide so quickly. But she was Merlin after all.

"Not only do I have family, but I have Kin as well. And magic is not illegal. I have decided. I leave tomorrow night. Then I have time to say goodbye."


	2. New Truth

I own nothing but the storyline. I apologize if some names are wrong, but I read the books in Danish, and I can't find all names on the wiki, so… yeah. The Wiki states that Eragon is 16 years at the end of Inheritance. Now, we can't have him younger than Merlin, so Merlin came to Camelot as 15, about the same time as Eragon started his adventure, and even if hers lasted longer, they both lost many loved ones. This is like after season 4, and Lance isn't dead.

"Talk"

' _Mind speech'_

 _Dreams/flashbacks_

" _Talking in the Ancient Language"_

" **Dragon speech"**

" _ **Talking in the old religion as I'm too lazy to translate it all. Spells will be rubbish/gibberish. Just warning"**_

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Merlin stood outside the King and Queens chambers, nervous to meet their eyes. She had no idea of how long she had been standing there; it took her even longer to actually open the door. Ever since she returned the day before, she had feared for their reaction. That fear had only multiplied. Nevertheless, as she looked at her friends sleeping peacefully, she only felt relieved. Happy that they received the life they deserved. These thoughts filled her, as she put out the couples breakfast, opened the curtains and woke up the Queen.

"Good morning Gwen." Upon seeing Merlin, Gwen woke up fully.

"Merlin! You shouldn't be working so soon!" she whisper-shouted.

"It's okay. It's the last time after all. Do you want to wake up the prat, or shall I?" Merlin grinned, a bit forcedly.

"Uh… What? Oh, uhm, you can wake him." At these words, Merlin walked to the other side of the bed, pulled off the covers and as it didn't work, she grabbed Arthur's foot and pulled him straight to the floor. And it finally worked. Again.

"MERLIN!" came the annoyed shout.

"You're welcome, your Royal Pratness. Now, your breakfasts are served, I've made sure that lunch and dinner will be brought to you, so you have proper time to find a new servant. -"

"Wait, Merlin what are you -"they tried to interrupt.

"- There is a council meeting this morning; you have training with the Knights in the afternoon Sire, while her Ladyship has a meeting with the Lady Morgana. In addition, there is another tournament coming up, so you need to plan that as well -"

"Merlin."

"- The stables are being cleaned, your armour will be polished soon, the floor will be washed before lunch, and -"

"Merlin!"

"- your chambers will be cleaned as well and your sword has been sharpened. I believe that's all of the chores. Now, if you will excuse me -"

"MERLIN!" came the frustrated cry.

"What? Afraid you can't dress yourself?"

"No! It's just… what are you talking about?" Arthur asked.

"The day's program? Today's chores?"

"No, not that! Why is someone else taking care of things? Finding a new servant? What in the world does that mean?"

"…"

"Well?" Gwen asked.

"I'm quitting." One look at their faces made her hurry on. "Not that you did anything wrong! Not at all! I just need to… well…"

"Merlin, if you need time to grieve that's okay, but… why quit?" for once, Arthur let worry into his voice.

"Well… my-mother-may-have-told-me-that-I-have-an-uncle-in-another-contry-and-I-wan't-to-go-find-him-as-he-is-my-only-family-besides-Gaius!"

"…WHAT?!" came the surprised voices.

"That's great, Merlin! I hope you find him!" Gwen said while Arthur nodded his agreement, and it made Merlin's nervousness disappear. As she said most of her goodbyes, their encouragements made her smile through the grieving over her mother, and the sadness of leaving her home behind.

…

However, Morgana was horrified. Since she had confided with her magic in Merlin, the younger girl had been her rock, her saviour, the person that held her to the right path. When Merlin had dragged Morgana to her chambers, and shared her powers, stories and their Destinies, Morgana had become strong in order to prove hers wrong. Since then, Merlin had taught her control, taught her new things and given her a copy of her magic-book disguised as an ordinary history-book. She had even turned away from Morgause several times in the last 4 years. Now that Merlin was leaving, it was the worst day in years.

…

"NO! Please, Merlin, don't leave me alone here! What will I do if she comes for me, and I'm unable to resist her?! Please stay with me! I can't face it all alone!" Morgana's scared voice carried out to the hallway where a confused Sir Leon was walking.

"It's okay Morgana! I'll give you something to contact me, just in case you need someone to talk to, if she comes back or if someone finds out about you. I will never truly leave you alone, Morgana. You can trust me."

…

Merlin took out a small sword-shaped silver pendant, and pressed it into the former king's ward's hand. Morgana could clearly feel the magic in it, Merlins magic, and it made her feel safe.

"I'll see you again, Morgana. You are like a sister to me, so please, be safe. If you ever need someone to talk to, but you can't reach me for some reason, talk to Lancelot. He won't tell anyone. Just say that I sent you."

"He knows?" her voice scared.

"He knows about me, and he swore not to tell. I'm sure he'll do the same for you. Goodbye Morgana." A tear slid down both of their faces as Merlin walked out the door.

"Goodbye Merlin. See you again soon."

...

Eragon looked at himself through the reflection in the water of the Edda-river. What he was doing was very dangerous, as defying ones Destiny can cause your own or a loved one's death. However, he felt a pull, a pull that lead him to Alagaësia, a place he didn't expect to see again. It had already been 4 years since he left, but he and Saphira hadn't found any proper place yet. For now they had stationed themselves about 50 miles east of Alagaësia, where a small forest lay besides both a lake and the sea. Across the sea, you could see the outline of another coast. Glaedr had called it Albion.

The border to his former home was barely a step away.

' _Are you all right little one?'_ Saphira asked.

' _I'm fine Saphira. I'm just nervous. What if someone is killed because of this?'_

' _No matter what, I'll stay with you. You won't be doing this alone. Besides, through you, I felt the pull as well, the pull of Destiny. Something - or someone - is waiting for you, Eragon. If not both. Therefore, we will do it. And we do it together.'_

' _Your right, Saphira. Thank you.'_ As he said this, they both crossed the border together.

…

It was already pitch-dark when Merlin walked through the gates of Camelot, nodding her goodbyes to the guards and Knights on duty. She had decided not to bring a horse, as she had, almost, convinced Kilgharrah to take her there. Her and Aithusa. She looked at her left hand. It was wrapped in an old bandage. On the night she hatched Aithusa, she had reached out to touch her head, and when she did, it felt like ice-cold water rushing through her. When she had looked on her palm, she saw a spiral-oval-ish marking that shone silver when she used her magic. Merlin sighed at the memory. Another tell-tale, like golden eyes wasn't enough. At least she made an illusion that made it look like a common scar, but to be safe - she still hid it.

In the clearing where she usually met The Great Lizard, Aithusa was already waiting. The small dragon flung herself at her Dragonlady when their eyes met.

"Let's call Kilgharrah, shall we?" Merlin said as she raised her head.

" **O Drakon! E male soi ftengometh tesd'hup anankes!"**

Not long after, Kilgharrah could be seen landing in front of her.

"You called young one? I still do not think you are making a wise choice. You are destroying your future. Even if Destiny survived this, the Once and Future King may not."

"I know. However, I know that he can take care of himself, and he has someone else protecting him now. I can take the next few years off. No biggie."

"Destiny isn't something you can run from, Merlin!" the dragon roared.

"Hey! No need to shout! Jeez!"

"No way… Merlin?" a familiar voice said from behind. She turned around, meeting the sight of several familiar faces. Lancelot was safe. She knew that. However, the rest of the Round Table? Not even a miracle could get her out of this one.

"Hello Arthur."

"What the hell are you doing?! Why are you holding a baby dragon?! And didn't you tell me that thing was dead?!" Arthur's voice boomed.

"As I said; no need to shout! Besides, many things you do not know about me, Arthur Pendragon; things only known to very select few, even if the entire magical side of Albion knows my name. At least one of them that is." Merlins voice took on a hard edge, one she only used for those who threatened her King.

"You're Emrys, aren't you?" Percival quietly asked.

"Yes. Yes I am."

"But, if you are Emrys of the prophesies, then who is -"he turned towards Arthur "- oh."

"WHAT? WHAT IS GOING ON?! SOMEON EXPLAIN THIS RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Arthur roared, surprisingly similar to a dragon. But if there was something Merlin could do, it was control dragons. However, before she could even open her mouth to speak, Percival beat her to it.

"I grew up in a small Druid-camp. I was adopted into it when I was seven. No Sire, I am not a Druid, nor do I have magic. Nevertheless, they always told stories - stories of the Once and Future King and Emrys. The Greatest King to ever live, who united the lands of Albion, restored the balance, and returned magic to the land. Emrys - the greatest Sorcerer to ever walk the lands, the Kings Protector and closest Advisor. Together they would remove all evil. In-between the battles, the King would marry the Queen of Hearts, who lost everything and gained everything, fight the Last Priestess, whose fury will rain from the heavens, and eventually the King dies at the hands of his Bane. That is what the stories say - but now I know that they aren't stories, but prophesies."

A slow clap sounded in the suddenly silent clearing. All turned from Percival to Merlin, who had put the Aithusa down. She just smiled at them and continued to clap.

"Very good sir Percival. That was very good. I must say, I'm surprised that you remember it to such detail. I have to correct you, however. Emrys is not the greatest Sorcerer to ever walk the earth. Emrys does not _have_ magic. Emrys _is_ magic. Otherwise, retold down to perfection." Her smile just creeped out most of them as she turned to the Great Dragon.

"And YOU! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT I AM GOING TO BE WITH MY KIN, AND I'M SURPRISED TO SEE _YOU_ STOPPING ME! THIS IS NO JOKE KILGHARRAH! I AM THE LAST DRAGONLADY AND YOU _CANNOT_ REFUSE ME!"

The Knights were shocked to hear the roar Merlin gave, and even more to her statement. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Now that is out of the way, let's get moving shall we?" she said, surprisingly calm, but not even the Lizard would look her in the eye. As he finally raised his head, he only nodded and laid down so she could climb onto his back; Aithusa now perched on her shoulders.

"Wait a minute… first off how are you a Dragonlady? And who is this Once and Future King?" Arthur asked, still a bit in shock.

"Remember Balinor, the last Dragonlord?"

"Yes, why?"

"He was my father."

"WHAT?!"

"As for the Once and Future King? Well, he is currently the King of Camelot, so you can go ask him yourself. Here," she threw a small white crystal down to them. "Crush this in the canter of the Round Table, and you will see all that I have done for you. Goodbye Arthur. Lancelot. Percival. Elyan. Gwaine. Leon."

And with those last words, Aithusa dropped back into her arms, and she took off on the back of the Great Dragon, leaving her King, home, friends and Destiny behind. Even if she felt sad at leaving, for the first time in her life, she felt truly free from all burdens, on her way to a new life, a new beginning.

She let out this feeling by shouting against the sky, a cry that could be heard over all of Albion.

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 _Six pages?! Nice! I know the last chapter was short so I'm making up for it. If you don't like how this went, then I'm sorry, because this is almost exactly, how I imagined it. In case you haven't realized Merlin and Eragon are both around 20 years old. Bye!_


	3. New Beginning

"Talk"

' _Mind speech'_

 _Dreams/flashbacks_

" _Talking in the Ancient Language"_

" **Dragon speech"**

" _ **Talking in the old religion as I'm too lazy to translate it all. Spells will be rubbish/gibberish. Just warning"**_

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Chapter 3

Eragon felt very homesick all of a sudden. Just by breathing in the same air as he did 4 years ago, made his memories come rushing back. Memories of Carvahall, his uncle, Roran, his father, Murtagh, Nasuada, Orik and Arya. How they all started, out so different, yet they all ended up walking the same path. Until his split away from them. However, maybe it wasn't a split, but a detour? Then he could see them again.

What concerned him, however, was the rumours of a small white dragon roaming the area around the edge of Du Weldenvarden. As he got closer to the edge of the forest, he could clearly feel powerful magic coming from it. He could hear a young girls voice shouting.

"Aithusa! Where are you? Aithusa!"

When he saw her, he was surprised. She looked around his age, yet she shone of raw magical power. Silently pulling out his sword, he stepped closer. When he pointed Brisingr into her back, she twirled around, with a small knife in hand. Using his quick reflexes, he ducked and pointed his sword towards her throat, but she muttered something and her knife became a sword, pointing at his throat as well. However, after a swift battle her sword-knife was in the ground, she was panting while he wasn't even out of breath, sword at her neck.

"Who are you?" she asked. She was fairly tall, fair skin, deep blue eyes, waist long midnight hair. Her features almost elven-like. He guessed she had some sort of magic in her veins, maybe she just related to one.

"I should ask the same. However, I can feel the magic you emit, and it is powerful. Therefore, out of respect, I will introduce myself first. I am Eragon Shadeslayer, leader of the new Dragon Riders, Rider of the dragon Saphira. Now, who are _you_?" he said, looking at her expectantly. She looked amazed at him.

"Dragons huh? Looks like there's more to them than I thought. My name is Merlin, also known as Idiot, Young Witch, Emrys, or whatever people like to call me. I'm not really that important, not like you, I'm just looking for my uncle. I never knew of him, not until my mother died a few days ago. Happy now?" her face cold, but her eyes showed worry and relief. Why, he did not know.

' _She's lying.'_

' _What? Saphira?'_

' _She is VERY important. Looks like you aren't the only chosen one in this world. Wait… no… Eragon, get away!'_

' _Why?'_

' _She is a…'_

' _A what?'_

Saphira cut of the thoughts.

"You're lying." She looked shocked.

"W-What?"

"You said you aren't important. That's a lie. What are you?" he noticed her bandage. "Show me your left hand."

As he pulled away his sword, as she reached out her hand. He pulled of the bandage, revealing the silver mark.

"Gedwëy ignasia!" he exclaimed, shocked.

"What? What is that? What is going on?!"

"Where is your dragon?!" he asked angrily. At that, a small white dragon burst out of a tree, and landed on the girls shoulder.

"Right here. Her name is Aithusa. What do mean with MY dragon?" she asked, clearly confused.

"You're a Dragon Rider." He showed his own hand, containing an identical mark. "My dragon is Saphira, she is hidden right now. But she can come out, now that we know that you aren't a threat."

When Saphira landed, she took a long look (stare in Merlins opinion) at the girl, and then bowed her head.

' _My Lady, it is an honour to meet you.'_

It was clear to Eragon that the girl heard her too, as her gaze was confused, then lit up in shock and understanding.

"'My Lady'?" Eragon asked.

' _Yes Eragon, she is the last Dragonlady. I thought all Dragonlords and -Ladies were dead, but seems at least one survived. Who was your parent's, My Lady?'_

"Uhhh… Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't expect this. Well, my mother was as ordinary as any farmer's daughter, but my father, Balinor, was the last Dragonlord, but he died just after I met him, trying to protect me. So yes. However, I was afraid to tell, in case you wanted to kill me. But if you wanted to do that, you would have to get in line."

"Oh." Eragon just said. She just grinned at him. "Wait, you said you were looking for your uncle, what is his name? I might know him, as I have been many places."

"His name is Brom. Does it ring a bell? I have asked around, and they said a man by that name, lives in the village Carvahall. Know him?"

Eragon's face lost all colour.

"Yes. I know him. You are too late, however. My father died almost 5 years ago."

…

Merlin stared at the young man in front of her. Did he just say that her uncle Brom was dead? Moreover, that Brom was his _father_? But that meant… they were cousins? Maybe he had siblings. Maybe she could have a family again, one that saw her for what she truly was, and accepted her.

"But… if Brom is your father, then are we cousins?" she asked, hope filling her. When he nodded, she could feel her grin splitting her face, at the same time as his.

"I suppose we are. Looks like I have more family then. Don't you have any left?" she shook her head.

"Well, I have a cousin named Roran and his wife Katrina, a half-brother named Murtagh; I'm adopted into a dwarven tribe and after this ritual of sorts, I'm also hybrid elf. So let's just say you have big family now. And don't worry. They will all accept you."

They talked a bit after that, Aithusa going out, and returning with rabbit. They ate dinner and kept talking. Their conversation then went from their lives to the case of Merlin and her dragon.

"I still don't understand. I asked Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon who is really old and wise, what the mark meant, but he did not understand either. Dragonlords used to hatch dragons from their eggs by giving them a name. I did the same, but when I touched her, it gave me this mark. Can you explain, please?"

"Well, I think that Aithusa hatched for you at the same time as you called her from the egg. It makes sense to me. Even if that isn't the case, you are a Dragon Rider now, and you have to be trained like one. Your knife fighting is great, but your sword-skills are not so. We need to look into that. What do think of magic?"

"Well, I was born with at least 2 kinds. The Dragonlady-powers and the magic of the Old Religion, but I can learn the Ancient Language; I will have a good advantage against my enemies. Can you teach me?"

"Of course. We can start tomorrow. Looks like we have to travel at foot; your dragon is too young to ride. I'm going to travel all across the land; I need to visit many people. Want to join me? We can visit my father's grave."

"Sure." Merlin smiled.

…

A few days later in Ellesméra:

Arya was sitting in her home, waiting for some important news, that some didn't think could wait. It had already been an hour, and she was getting restless, when a young elf came in.

" _Atra esterní onon thelduin, Arya Drottning."_

" _Mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr."_

" _Un du evarínya ono varda."_ the young elf said.

" _What news do you bring?"_

" _I have heard rumours."_

" _Rumours? I certainly hope that they are important."_

" _Of course. They speak of Eragon-finiarel and Saphira Bjartskular. They say that they have both crossed the border to Alagaësia, and are currently travelling across the land, in the company of a young human female."_

" _I see. Will you tell anyone who asks, that I have gone out to see if these rumours are true. Do you have any idea where they might be?"_

" _Yes. They should be a few mils west for Hedarth, if what the rumours are correct."_

" _Thank you."_

As soon as the young elf left, Arya quickly packed a travelling bag, one she haven't used since Fírnen hatched, and went to her dragon. After telling him of what she heard, they flew out, crossing the border of Du Weldenvarden, and landed close to Ceris. The first thing she heard was the clanging of swords, immediately thinking a fight was going on, until she heard someone falling to the ground and Eragon's voice.

"Seriously? That's the third time you make that mistake. You need to be less like a stone, and more flowy."

"Is that even a word?" an unknown voice spoke up. _The young female_ , she realized. When Arya stepped out, Eragon was helping her to her feet, giving her a sword.

"Eragon." Arya stated. He turned so fast that she almost didn't see him move.

"Arya!" he grinned at her, and before she could react, he ran to her, and pressed his lips against hers. As she closed her eyes, she noticed the girl turn away, walk towards Saphira, and take something out of a bag.

When Eragon pulled away, they just stood smiling at each other, until Saphira piped up.

' _Are you done now? The Hatchlings are hungry; they've even gotten a fire started.'_

' _Thank you, Saphira'_ Eragon deadpanned. Without waiting for an answer, he took Arya's hand, and let her to the makeshift camp, where the girl was stirring something in a pot.

"Arya, this is Merlin. She is the daughter of Brom's younger brother Balinor. Apparently, she's a Dragonlady, and a dragon hatched for her - sort off, we don't know for sure what happened- named Aithusa. It means 'Light of the Sun' or something. She came her looking for my father, but found me instead. So, she joined me on my travels." Eragon explained.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Arya. Eragon speaks highly of you, a lot, and now I see why." Arya was surprised to hear her talk. It was much kinder than most would be to an elf, as even now, people were still a bit nervous around them.

"Likewise."

"Why don't you join us for lunch? We didn't have any meat though, so it's mostly herbs. I hope you don't mind?" the girl seemed nervous, not because Arya was an elf, but she was worried about her liking her food. Arya smiled.

"I would love too." The girl's grin seemed to shine like the sun.

"Aithusa should be here in a minute. She wanted to have a look at some of the trees. Some of them are different from what we are used to in Albion. Oh, there she is!" a small white dragon flew down and landed on her shoulders, and immediately slid off. "I'm sorry Aithusa, but you have gotten too big for that. Time to rest on the ground. I hope you caught something to eat as Saphira already ate." Merlin kept rambling on to her dragon. However, something caught Arya's notice.

"You're from Albion, then?"

"Yes. I lived in and near Camelot my entire life. The first almost 16 years with my mother in a village called Ealdor, and the rest as Arthur Pendragon's maidservant. I saved his life, and got a horribly annoying job. How lucky am I?" her voice was soaked in sarcasm. "A dream come true; serving the man whose father killed hundreds of my kind, and protecting his son, so he could become the greatest king ever. It looks like I was right though, he is nothing but a giant prat." She huffed at the end, making Arya laugh into her stew. They spent the rest of the meal talking.

"So, Eragon, you never told me where your father was buried." Merlin asked.

"Well, he died of a mortal wound from battle, and I gave him a magically shaped stone-grave, but the next morning, Saphira used her instinctual magic, and made his grave into diamond, so time could not harm him. Why?"

"Well… ever heard of the Cup of Life?"

"No." Arya and Eragon chorused.

"Do you have anyone who deserves to die, who have killed many people or something?"

"Well, I heard some serial-killer had been locked in Helgrind. Is that okay?" Arya asked.

"Yes. That is perfect. Then I won't have any qualms."

"What are you going to do?" Eragon asked.

"I am going to bring your father back." Merlin said and smiled.

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And… it's over. I just like the thought of Merlin showing her awesome powers off, and I think Eragon deserves having someone he lost back. I'm going to skip a few years of the timeline, since it's just Merlin training, the Knights looking for her and stuff. Basically, it's just to boring to write. Bye!


	4. New Past, New Future

"Talk"

' _Mind speech'_

 _Dreams/flashbacks_

" _Talking in the Ancient Language"_

" **Dragon speech"**

" _ **Talking in the old religion as I'm too lazy to translate it all. Spells will be rubbish/gibberish. Just warning"**_

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Chapter 4

~ _Time skip! 3 years later! ~_

It had taken almost three years for Arthur to get himself together, as since Merlin left many things escalated. It turned out that Morgana was born with magic and was a seer, Lancelot knew about them both, Percival was not as reserved as thought, but only careful to what he says. Druids had saved Leon, and since then, he found it very hard to die. The rest of the Knights felt close to the fact that not all magic was evil. However, as Arthur still felt betrayed by Merlin, he had banished her.

Now, he had gathered the Round Table, Gwen and Morgana, for a meeting. In his hand was the crystal Merlin gave them.

"So, I have decided to finally do what Merlin told us, and see what it is she has done. I called you here, as I believe that you deserve to know as much as I do. If you do not want to see this, you are free to leave, and no one will be dishonoured. None of you will be judged by anything we see." No one moved. "Now let's start." He reached towards the middle of the table, and crushed the frail crystal in his fist. A white fog started to surround them, and soon the whole room was filled, and a young girl walked out of it. Her long hair and brown eyes was very familiar to Arthur. He just couldn't remember where from.

"I see. So this is what Merlin wanted." Her voice was timid and sweet.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name was -is- Freya. Nevertheless, I'm not surprised that you don't remember me. Merlin asked me to help show her past. She made a mistake, however. She only wanted to show her childhood and her life in Camelot, but as she forgot to cut off the magic until recently, you will see a few months after she left as well. Please follow me." The table disappeared, and a forest appeared around them. It was very serene, until a woman's scream cut through the silence. They all ran towards the sceam, only to see a small village.

"Ealdor." Gwen stated.

The screams continued for a while, until the party stopped outside a small house, which Arthur recognised as Hunith's home. Suddenly a baby's cry sounded across the village, and when the group came in, no one could even see or touch them, the saw a young Hunith on a small bed, holding a little child in her arms. Gaius was standing next to her.

" _Congratulations, Hunith. It's a girl."_

" _Thank you Gaius. She's as light as a feather, like a baby bird. Merlin."_

" _What?"_

" _Her name. It's Merlin." After cleaning up, he left._

 _Hunith cradled her daughter closer, but then Merlin opened her eyes for the first time. Instead of deep blue, her eyes shone a brilliant gold. Around them a few flowers appeared, a blanket hovered in the air and the birds chirped happier than before. Tears now streamed down Huniths cheeks._

" _My dear Merlin. Don't worry. I will protect you. We will learn how to hide your powers, we will cope, and then one day, Balinor may come back. Then he can teach you, and we can be a family."_

The white fog reappeared, and they could see seasons pass by in Ealdor.

" _Get back here freak!" a few kids shouted, while a scared Merlin hid behind a house. A small boy then came out and pulled her inside._

" _You can hide in here. I know why they call you freak. They are scared, but I think it's awesome!" the boy stated, grinning all the while. "I'm William, but you can call me Will." he said_

" _I'm Merlin, though most people call idiot. Or freak."_

A snort of laughter from Gwen made them turn to look at her. She just shrugged. From there most of the memories went fast in front of them. Yet they saw and remembered each one.

" _You called me… friend?"_

" _How small you are for such a great Destiny."_

" _If someone wants to kill Arthur, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand!"_

" _I'll never forgive this Emrys, and I'll never forget!"_

" _I told you he would get me killed."_

" _You are two sides of the same coin."_

" _Pity. We could have ruled the world."_

" _You should not have hurt my friend."_

" _You think I sit around and do nothing?! I haven't had the chance to sit around and do nothing since the day I arrived in Camelot; I'm too busy running around after Arthur! Do this, Merlin! Do that, Merlin! When I'm not running around after Arthur, I'm doing chores for you. And when I'm not doing that, I'm fulfilling my Destiny. Do you how many times I have saved Arthurs life? I've lost count. And do I get any thanks? NO! I've fought witches, griffins - bandits, I've been punched, poisoned, pelted with fruit, and all the while, I have to hide who I really am, because if anyone finds out, Uther will have me executed. Sometimes I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions, I don't know which way to turn!"_

" _That's not a strawberry."_

" _At least it's the right colour."_

" _It's magic, Merlin!"_

" _I know. We can find another way. Let me help you!"_

" _You must free me, Young Witch!"_

" _He is your father, Merlin."_

" _I have known you long enough to know you will make me proud."_

" _Goodbye Morgause."_

" _Sorcery!"_

" _Aithusa!"_

" _The hell is this mark?! And why is it silver?!"_

" _A white dragon. This bodes well for Albion, for you and Arthur."_

" _We have taken Camelot."_

" _So?"_

" _You have to believe it, Arthur."_

" _For Camelot!"_

" _Peace has returned."_

" _Your father had a brother. His name is Brom. He lives Alagaësia."_

" _But… if Brom is your father, then are we cousins?"_

" _I suppose we are."_

" _Arya, this is Merlin."_

" _What are you going to do?"_

" _I'm going to bring your father back."_

The memories then slowed down to show Merlin and two other people and dragons in front a crystal grave. Merlin was wearing a flowy white dress/rope, and a blue hooded silk cloak and belt. Beside her stood a young man around her age, brown hair and eyes, donning a thin and flexible armour, sword by his side. By his feet lay an older man, hair and face dirty, several wounds was inflicted on him, but he still grinned like a lunatic.

" _Did you have to give him that many wounds, Eragon?" Merlin asked, clearly annoyed._

" _I had to stop him from fleeing; he was going to be executed after all. It's his own fault for killing so many people. Are you sure that you can do this, Mer? I don't want you to get hurt." The young man - Eragon? - answered._

" _Have some faith would you? It is your father after all."_

" _And your uncle. To have my father back is something I could only dream about before. I don't mind giving up this lunatic. But why do we need him again?"_

" _Balance." Merlin answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world._

" _Balance?"_

" _Yes. That is the way of the Old Religion. To give or create a life, an equal life must be taken. This man might be crazy, but his life can still bring Brom back. He is simply going to take the wound from his body, and his life force will make up for what Brom lost in the last four years. So your father will return exactly how he was before his wound was inflicted, but with all his memories intact, so prepare for a lot of questions. Release him." Merlin nodded at the man_

" _Of course. I didn't expect anything else." Eragon smirked, stepped back, and let go of an unnoticeable chain._

 _The man tried to run, but Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and he was unable to move. Merlin lowered her hood and raised her hands. Eyes still glowing, she began shouting words no one but her could understand, and a golden cup appeared in her hands. Storm clouds gathered above them, and lightning blasted the man to pieces. Rain then poured into the cup, and the crystal grave broke, giving them free view of an elderly man, lying in it with a sword and staff. Eragon hurried forward, and cradled the man's neck, and Merlin poured the water into his mouth. After a while, his wound began to heal. All of a sudden, the man's eyed opened, and he took a deep breath. Eragon just smiled at him, while Merlin kept muttering until the cup disappeared._

" _Where am I? What happened?" he asked his voice raspy. When he laid eyes on Eragon, they comically widened._

" _Eragon?" his voice was even quieter, afraid, as if he feared that what he saw wasn't real._

" _Yes, father, it's me. You're back! Thank you, Merlin!" they both turned to look at her and the older man's eyes widened even further._

" _Balinor."_

" _Sorry?" she asked._

" _You're Balinor's daughter. You look like him." Her smile was soothing as she nodded._

" _Yes. My mother told me to find you when she died. I'm sorry for telling you this so soon, but my father passed away three years ago, about two year after your own death. And yes, you have been dead for five years. Saphira turned your grave to crystal so time couldn't harm you. Which is the only reason for me to be able bring you back, Brom… uh, uncle?" The old man smiled. Then he frowned at Eragon._

" _Galbatorix? What happened?"_

" _Galbatorix has been dead for four years, father. All three dragon eggs has been hatched. Saphira, Thorn who is Murtagh's dragon, and Fírnen who is Arya's. Ajahad is dead, however. Nasuada is the new Queen, and the elves can move around almost completely free. I have been adopted into a dwarven tribe, my new brother, Orik, is the King. We have made peace with the Urgals. Both Ra'zac and Durza are dead. So is Íslanzadi, and Arya is Queen. We found many dragon eggs and Eldunarí on Vroengard, so the dragons are safe as well. I know that Murtagh and I are half-brothers, but we are in peace. So no need to worry. I am afraid to say that Oromis and Glaedr are dead as well."_

 _A few tears of sadness and relief ran down the old man's cheeks._

" _Finally. Let's go see our Queen then, my son." This made Eragon beam._

The memories sped up again and the group of friends in Camelot watched as Merlin learned new magic, trained with swords - they only saw when she failed, making Arthur snort - and grew along her dragon. Then it all turned back into smoke, and Freya was watching them.

"Any questions? If not, I'm going to go back to being dead." She said. Arthur turned to her.

"Did she really do all these things?" unable to believe his own eyes. He wanted to remove the banishment, make magic legal, and go get his best friend back, and he had no problem with admitting it. Freya looked at him sadly.

"Yes. Unfortunately so. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go back to the Lake." She turned to leave.

"Wait! Do you know where she is?" Arthur shouted.

"Yes. I thought it was obvious, but she is Alagaësia."

And she was gone, along with the white fog, leaving only crystal shards behind. Arthur looked around the Table. They all nodded.

"Let the people know, that from this moment on, that magic is welcomed back in Camelot. Crimes with magic are to be judged the same as those without. Let them know that Merlin Hunithsdaughter is no longer banished, Morgana Pendragon is the new Court Sorceress, and that we all ride out to Alagaësia in order to make an alliance. Queen Guinevere is to rule in my absence. That is all."

They all scrambled to get out the door as quickly as possible.

…

 _~Another Time skip! 2 weeks later, as they had to cross an ocean. What did you expect?_

Merlin was in the courtyard of her house. She had found a small hidden lake just outside of the capitol. Using her magic, she had built a small house and grown a small forest around it. This made it possible for Aithusa to rest without being stared at. She had been trained in magic and swordsmanship by Eragon and Arya, and she was now able to beat them as well. Even if they had to call it a draw most of the time. She was currently practising her violin, an instrument one the elves had given her. A few months ago, Kilgharrah had given her a visit, telling her of what was happening in Camelot. However, before he left, he had blown a golden mist on her, "This is our gift to you", and when Eragon found her the next morning, she had become the same as him; a hybrid elf. Ish.

She was still playing when she picked up the sounds of hoof beats in the distance. Using her magic, she saw something that made her shiver in fear.

 _Knights in armour… red cloaks… black dress… golden dragon… Camelotians and Morgana. Better run. Wait… why is Morgana here?_

Hurriedly putting away her violin, she grabbed her new sword. It was made from the same metal as Eragon and Arya's. Hers was the classical silver, but was also forged in a Dragons Breath, and had a blue line with runes down the middle. It said, "Love me and die" on one side and "Leave me and live" on the other. She had no idea why, though.

She managed to jump onto a high branch just a second before they passed. In her hand was a small knife with a note latched onto it. She waited until the first had passed, then with a frightening precision, she threw the knife, and the blade buried itself halfway into the ground, barely 2 feet from the first horse.

When the Knight had managed to calm his horse down, he jumped down and picked up the knife and note. When he took of his helmet, the rest did as well. She realized that not only the King but also the entire Round Table had come.

"'Leave.' What kind of person throws a knife _along_ with _this_? That person must be an idiot." Arthur said. _You never know,_ Merlin thought.

"Can I see that?" Mordreds voice came from the back of the group. Arthur tossed it at him, and he caught it with ease. Mordred closed his eyes, and Merlin could sense his magic roaming the area, examining the knife. _I bet Eragon and Arya felt that. If not, they seriously need to be called on._

' _Eragon? Eragon!'_ she shouted, not noticing Mordred tense.

' _What is it? Got stuck in a tree or something?'_

' _No. Camelot has sent not just Knights, but her King and his sister as well. Need help here.'_

' _Where are you?'_

' _Hiding. Duh.'_

' _Emrys.'_ Merlin almost fell from the tree. Apparently, Mordred had heard her, and was now looking straight at her. Then Gwaine came over to him.

"What's the matter, mate? Found something?" he was slightly drunk as always. "Or are you just noticing the tree now, are you sure you are a Druid, Mate?" he chuckled light-heartedly.

"Yes. This knife belongs to Merlin." They all sucked in a breath. "And yes, I found something. Rather, some _one._ Isn't that right, Emrys?" then he turned to her, and the others turned as well, deadly silent. She chuckled darkly, and it could be heard by all.

' _Eragon? No need to come after all. I got it under control.'_

' _Okay. At least I got out of a boring meeting.'_

' _Stand those meetings for four years, and we're even.'_

She jumped down from the branch and landed gracefully in front of her old friends. For some reason, they seemed… happy to see her.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, a happy grin splitting his face.

"Leave." She said, not wanting to get hurt again.

"What?" he asked confused. "Why?"

"I don't want you here! This is my home! You have no right to come here! You already broke me once, and it won't happen again!" she screamed at the end.

"Merlin, please! We know what you have done, and we are sorry! Please we only want our friend back." Merlin looked to Morgana, sorrow filling her eyes.

"I'm sorry Morgana, but the Merlin you knew died the day I was banished for something I could not help." Merlin then turned, and disappeared.

…

"Well… that was interesting. Looks we came here for nothing, right mate?" Gwaine dunked Leon in back. Leon didn't notice, however, as he was thinking about what had happened the day after Merlin had left

" _You know, Leon, I don't think anything will happen if you sit in your room sulking all day." Gwaines voice cut through the silent sobs, wrecking through Leon's body. When Gwaine saw his tears, he sat down beside him._

" _I see. You had no idea, huh?" Gwaine sighed. "Well, when I think back, it becomes pretty obvious. Not that you don't know that." One look at his face had Leon realize that Gwaine was hurt as well. Not in the same way though._

" _Why are you telling me this?" the scratchy voice somehow fell out. Gwaine raised an eyebrow._

" _Well, Merlin had become like a little sister to the rest of us, but I guess she had become more to you, huh?" a nod was his answer. "Well mate, we are going to see her again, and you can tell her then. I talked to her about you once, and it seems like she felt the same. Maybe she just… had to. Sometimes people don't have a choice. Maybe she was born with it." Gwaine said, making Leon look up._

" _Since when did you become wise?"_

" _Since yesterday."_

Even if Gwaine was right, could he risk it? He had buried his feelings deep down, and lived on by ignoring himself, only answering to his duty. He had had many suitors, young women who had fallen for him for some reason, but he always turned them away. Even if he didn't want to, he kept thinking about Merlin, and could _not_ accept them. Until he had an idea.

"Merlins clothing looked very expensive, the kind only nobles could afford. If we go to the ruler of the country, we might found out where she is. If not, we can still establish an alliance with them. It would be an advantage in case of war." His voice was so full of hope, that even Arthur looked at him suspiciously. But eventually, it was their new plan.

Halfway through the castles courtyard, the sound of metal against metal could be heard. The servant who was leading them turned towards the sound, and immediately motioned them to follow him. He stopped a few steps from a dark-skinned woman. She turned around to look at them.

"My Queen," the servant said, "You have visitors from the land of Camelot. They wish to speak of an alliance." The servant then stepped to the side. Many of the people on the training grounds turned towards them, one of them the man from Merlins memories.

"Well then, let's talk. I do not like having my training interrupted, but as it is important, I can pass it off for once. As I do not know you, my name is Nasuada. What are yours?" Arthur motioned for them to kneel.

"My name is Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot. These are my Knights Sirs Leon, Lancelot, Elyan, Percival, Gwaine and Mordred. This is my half-sister Morgana Pendragon, my Court Sorceress. I do know that my father's crimes, and my own, have made our family feared, but as I have realized our mistakes, I wish for nothing more than an alliance. I hope that if this will not be the case, we can at least be in peace." Arthur finished his speech, looking at the Queen in hope. She looked deep in thought.

"Well I appreciate you coming all this way, as I know our homes are far apart. I cannot make this decision now, but you are free to stay the night. Please, join me for dinner tonight. I agree that even if we cannot be friends, we will stay at peace. Unless, you do something to destroy that peace."

"Of course. I'm surprised to see so many people here, who aren't Knights. Please, explain to me your system, so we can learn how to improve our own." Sure, many people on the training grounds were normal people, even if a few of them was training far away from the others.

There were three of them. One of them was this 'Eragon' they had seen before, decked in blue and silver armour, another was a tall woman with black hair and was wearing a simple armour, mostly consistent of thick green cloth, the last was another woman, but she kept her face hidden. She was wearing the same as the other two, but it was white. Her hood was wide, with a triangle in front of her eyes.

As the training continued, a few nobles had made their way to the woman in white, and the training grounds stilled again, as everybody looked to then in fear and sympathy.

"Hey, witch!" one of them shouted. He looked like the kind of noble Gwaine would hate. "Why don't we make a little bet?" the woman looked at him and nodded. She looked straight out bored. The nobleman smirked.

"Well, if you can beat all of us without taking a single hit, we will not bother you again."

"And if I lose?" her voice was quiet, but loud enough to hear.

"Then you will warm all of our beds tonight. How about that? Are you scared?" he mocked her, not noticing her own smirk. The next second, he was on the ground, her silver and blue sword at his neck.

"Never think a woman can't fight, just because of her gender." He crawled out of the way, and just barely managed to block her next blow.

"Never turn away from your opponent." He fell down, knocked out by a kick to the face. The next charged at her, this one as big as Percival, but she merely ducked, and spun a leg beneath his, making him fall, and kicked him hard in the gut.

"Do _not_ think you can beat me if you can't beat your own ego." One by one, they all fell to the ground unmoving, only groaning in pain. "Let that be a lesson to you." She then walked over to Queen Nasuada.

"My lady, may I leave? I need to practise somewhere quieter." Her voice still low, not even a hair looked out of place, and her face still mostly hidden. The Queen looked at her sadly.

"Of course. I understand completely. I have a request though."

"Yes, my lady?" she lowered her hood, making all of their breaths hitch.

"Would you mind performing for us tonight, Emrys? We have royal guests, and I could not bear for them to miss out something that amazing." The now revealed to be Merlin, blushed slightly at the praise, but nodded none the less.

"Of course my lady. Any requests?"

"Yes. How about Beyond the veil, Caged Bird and Shatter? I hope for you to choose the rest. I will see you at dinner." Merlin bowed and walked off, a part of Leon's heart following her.

Queen Nasuada turned to them. "Well, there are still a few hours until dinner. You are free to explore the capitol, just try not to get lost. If you do, just ask someone for directions. Now, if you will excuse me, I have training to get back too. Eragon!" the man from Merlins memories came running at an amazing speed, and she hadn't even shouted.

"Yes? Are you ready to begin?" the Queen let him away from them, and they began to spar, with the other woman from before watching.

About an hour later, Leon and Lancelot had been led astray by Gwaines antics. They were now facing a small lake, hidden by a small forest. They heard a very familiar voice singing, even if it was clouded by sorrow. When they came closer, they could see Merlin sitting by the shore, droplets of water creating small mirrors, all of them containing a picture of each of them.

 _You and me,_

 _Used to be together._

 _Everyday together._

 _Always._

Merlin looked distress, torn at what to do. Leon did not fail to notice how his picture was slightly bigger than Arthurs, who was the biggest of the others.

 _I really feel_

 _That I'm losing_

 _My best friend._

 _I can't believe this could be_

 _The end._

Lancelot looked sad at this. He was the only Knight Merlin had trusted with her magic after all. You could say that they were best friends.

 _It looks as though_

 _You're letting go._

 _And if it's real_

 _Well I don't want to know._

A single tear ran down her cheek, taking others with it.

 _Don't speak!_

 _I know just what you're saying_

 _So please stop explaining._

 _Don't tell me cause it hurts._

 _Don't speak!_

 _I know what you're thinking_

 _And I don't need your reasons._

 _Don't tell me cause it hurts._

Leon stepped out of the trees, silently making his way towards her.

 _It's all ending_

 _I got to stop pretending_

 _Who we are._

 _You and me,_

 _I can see us dying_

 _Are we?_

 _Hush, hush, Darling._

 _Hush hush, Darling!_

 _Don't tell me cause it hurts!_

 _Don't tell me cause it hurts._

Merlin stood up, the water falling into the lake. She turned around, and Leon found himself facing her for the first time in years. Even if she didn't know it, to him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Now she was changed, but it only made her even more beautiful. For a few seconds they just stared at each other, until she broke eye contact and walked around him. Away from him. He seriously needed to get his act together.

…

Merlin had serious problems. Not only was she suddenly face to face with the one person she did not want to see, the one she had loved. No, the one she _love_. Present tense please. Now, she was standing outside the dining room, dressed in a simple white silk dress, her violin in hand and yet she was unable to move. When her thoughts calmed down, she pushed the doors open with a flash of gold.

In the room, all talk silenced, as the guests wanted to see where this went, while those who knew her like this wanted to see her performance again. She bowed to them, and muttered a long incantation. All the lights in the room dimmed, and from her now long shadow, a clone of her dressed in a black dress appeared, making everybody else gasp, this was new. Merlin and her shadow stood back to back, and a small ticking sound came out from nowhere. Merlin raised her violin, following her shadow with perfect dance moves, twist, turns and bends and yet still playing perfectly, her shadow dancing and now singing along. First a few songs without music, the first slow and the next faster and faster. Now she was at the pique.

 _I pirouette in the dark_

 _I see the stars through me._

 _Tired mechanical heart_

 _Beats to the song disappears._

Being lost in her music, she barely noticed how Mordred and Morgana flinched. Looks like they got the hint.

 _Somebody shine a light!_

 _I'm frozen by the fear in me_

 _Somebody make me feel alive and_

 _Shatter Me!_

 _So cut me from the line_

 _Dizzy_

 _Spinning endlessly._

 _Somebody make me feel alive and_

 _Shatter Me!_

The singing paused to let the violin prove itself. The tones flew out among those in the room, and embraced them.

 _If only the clockwork could speak_

 _I wouldn't be so alone._

 _We burn every magnet and spring_

 _And spiral into the unknown._

 _Somebody shine a light!_

 _I'm frozen by the fear in me_

 _Somebody make me feel alive and_

 _Shatter Me!_

 _So cut me from the line_

 _Dizzy_

 _Spinning endlessly._

 _Somebody make me feel alive and_

 _Shatter Me!_

Both Merlin and her shadow now sang at the same time, even if only for a moment.

 _If I break the glass then I'll have to fly_

 _There's no one to catch me if I take a dive_

 _I'm scared of changing the days stay the same_

 _The world is spinning but only in rain._

 _If I break the glass then I'll have to fly!_

 _There's no one to catch me if I take a dive_

 _I'm scared of changing the days stay the same_

 _The world is spinning but only in rain._

 _Somebody shine a light!_

 _I'm frozen by the fear in me_

 _Somebody make me feel alive and_

 _Shatter Me!_

 _So cut me from the line_

 _Dizzy_

 _Spinning endlessly._

 _Somebody make me feel alive and_

 _Shatter Me!_

 _SHATTER ME!_

 _Somebody make me feel alive and_

 _SHATTER ME!_

As the song ended, no one dared to move. not until Nasuada stood up clapping so hard it looks like hands would off. Everybody followed quickly her example. Merlin and her shadow bowed, before they both disappeared in a slight breeze.

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Well, I have no life. 14 pages in three days. Where did my mind run to again? Thank you all tjos who read this! Please review!


	5. New Love

"Talk"

' _Mind speech'_

 _Dreams/flashbacks_

" _Talking in the Ancient Language"_

" **Dragon speech"**

" _ **Talking in the old religion as I'm too lazy to translate it all. Spells will be rubbish/gibberish. Just warning"**_

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Chapter 5

A few hours later in Arthur's guest-chambers, all of the Camelotians were gathered, discussing what they were going to do now. For now, their plan had sort of worked, but it still wasn't going in the right direction. When they heard that Merlin and Leon had been face to face and she hadn't screamed at him, they had new hope. Until they noticed Morgana and Mordred's sad postures.

"Morgana, Mordred, is something the matter?" Arthur asked, his voice fully showing his concern.

"Well… the last song Merlin performed, you know?" Morgana said carefully.

"Yeah." They all chorused.

"Well… we think that… well…" Mordred stammered.

"Come on, out with it!"

"Two of the lines… you know the 'tired mechanical heart, beats to the song disappears'?" Morgana asked.

"Yes? What about it-… oh… do you think…?" Percival's voice choked out. Arthur just looked at them confused. Mordred took pity on him and the others.

"The Prophecy of Emrys and The Once and Future King is also known as the Long Song. The last part of it states;

'The King will in battle die

But his soul will not fly

He is to remain in Avalon

Till Albion's Age has come and gone.

Emrys will wait for His return

By the lakes shore

So the land can again Unity learn

Then they can rest forever more.

For thousand years

Albion has no true fears

For in our greatest need

Evil will its end meet.'

We believe that Merlin referred to that in her song. The song will be sung until Albion's Destiny is complete. That is only the version I know, the one sung to the children of the camp, but there is a longer one." He explained.

"But… what does that have to do with Merlin? I know she is Emrys, but still." Leon asked.

"She sang 'until the song disappears'. Not only that, but the fact that she has survived things no one else could. We believe that Emrys, Merlin, is immortal." A collective gasp ran through the others, not quite grasping this fact. In their minds though, the evidence began to pile up, and they could only agree.

"Took you long enough." An unknown, yet familiar, voice sounded from the door. The young man had brown hair and eyes, but even if his eyes had an amused spark in them, there was a haunted look to him. He closed the door, and sat down cross-legged on the floor. He nodded to all of them.

"I'm Eragon, but I guess you all know that. I'm Merlins cousin on our fathers' side. I would go through the usual greeting, but none of you would have any idea what I was doing." He said, oblivious to their confused faces.

"Alright I guess. How is she doing?" Arthur asked.

"She is doing well. Most of the time. I'm only here by my own will. She asked all of us not to talk to you about her, but I think that there are things you need to know."

"Like what?" Elyan piped up.

"Like her nightmares. Her breakdowns. How she has days where she doesn't even move, as it is impossible for her mind and body to function."

"WHAT!?" the entire room shouts at Eragon who just sits calmly on the floor.

"She has nightmares sometimes, horrible nightmares. She always tell us that it's nothing, but we are somehow able to make her tell us small things, like burning at the stake, being betrayed, hated and banished. After a serious one, she is unable to make the difference between dream and reality. Then she has a breakdown. As she is scared of making connections to people, I and our friend Arya are the ones to calm her down. Sometimes, after we calm her down and she goes back to sleep, she stops moving. The next day, sometimes several days, we are unable to get through to her, and she just lies in her bed, staring at the ceiling. We don't know why. For some reason, only Murtagh and Roran can get through to her." They all sit in shock at this, the haunted look on his face saying it all.

"First of all," Arthur's voice cut the silence short. "Why did we not know this?" at that, the rest of the Knights spoke up.

"When did she last have one of these break-downs?"

"Who is Arya?"

"Who is Murtagh?"

"Who is Roran?"

"What is happening to Merlin?" Leon's voice rose above the others. Eragon turned towards him.

"I came here, as I said, by my own will, even though she said not to. She has had another nightmare, this time worse than before. Arya is with her now. Arya is Merlins best friend, Queen of the Elves, Dragon Rider and my other half. Besides my dragon. Murtagh is my half-brother who is also a Rider. He had a horrible childhood, and he knows what it is like to feel haunted, as he feels that way more than any of us. Roran is my cousin. He is like the embodiment of pure reason to her, but if you ever hurt his family, you're dead. We all think of her as a sister though. We believe that Merlin is traumatised by her own fear and the pressure she was under before and now." It took some time for time for them to take it all in. They all then jumped to their feet. Eragon just looked at them. "If you want to see her, you will have to wait. Once a man who only looked slightly like one of you passed by her house, and she started thrashing and screaming her lungs out. Took us three hours to calm her down." They all sat down, besides Morgana.

"I know you do not want this, but I want to see my friend. She protected me and helped me with my nightmares and visions for years. Now it's my time to help her." They started to stare each other down. Eragon sighed.

"Fine. I'll take you there. Moreover, you seriously need mental barriers, all of you. Your minds are like open books." He finally stood up, and opened the door. "My lady, if you will follow me. Goodnight gentlemen." He then walked out, Morgana on his heels.

…

Arya was sitting on a chair by Merlin's bed. She was stroking her sisters - in all but blood- hair, humming soothing words and lullabies to her. Merlin was slowly calming down by the time she felt - just as much as she heard- Eragon knock on the door. He had the Lady Morgana with him, and even if she didn't like it, she quietly opened the door and let them step in. Morgana had hurried past both of them, and fell beside Merlin, who was curled up around her legs.

"It's okay Mer, I'm here now, you can relax. Don't worry; no one will ever hurt you. I swear." She kept muttering the same over and over, making Merlin shift slightly.

"Morgana?" the fragile voice sounded like a scared five-year-old.

"Yes, I'm here Merlin. And I won't leave you, I promise." The girl just nodded. Arya left the two friends to themselves, and went outside to have a talk with Eragon.

…

Merlin was scared. Ever since she landed in Alagaësia, her feeling of freedom slowly ebbed away, leaving room for a deep sadness. She kept it hidden, however, as she always had. But after a while, her nightmares started, and then they became too real. When she found out that she was immortal until her Destiny ended, it became worse. Only confiding in Eragon and Arya, she managed to keep going. Then her new family got bigger and bigger, and her nightmares became rarer. However, they suddenly became much worse.

Now that Morgana was beside her it felt like she was still in Camelot, being held by her best friend. Unknowingly, she began to sing her old lullaby, the same one she sang to Mordred when he first came to Camelot; this one was a bit different though. She just felt more relaxed all of a sudden.

 _I remember tears streaming down your face_

 _When I said I'd never let you go._

 _When all those Shadows almost killed your light_

 _I remember you said don't leave me here alone_

 _But all that's dead and gone and passed, tonight._

…

Mordred was walking towards the two shadows, staring at the small house. He could hear Merlin's voice singing a familiar song. It hit him when she sang the chorus, the one he heard his entire life, and it had haunted him every time he thought of her. He had two images in his mind. The one who saved him and sang to him when he was scared and the one who tried to get him killed. Now he knew they were the same, she had problems with herself as well. Now he only felt safe.

 _Just close your eyes_

 _The sun is going down._

 _You'll be alright_

 _No one can hurt you now._

 _Come morning light_

 _You and I'll be Safe and Sound._

…

Eragon was shocked by the sudden change. He could still see both Merlin and Morgana through the window, and Merlin was now lying down, clinging on to her friend for life. Maybe it was the fact that Lady Morgana was there, that she forgave Merlin that triggered it. Merlin had lived in fear for over three years, fear that her friends hated her, and it made her fear them.

Eragon was painfully aware of the young Knight behind them, but he didn't turn around. The young boy obviously had magic, even if he tried to hide it. Arya, on the other hand, turned her head to him and nodded. He nodded back to her, and they both turned back to the house, where Merlin had finally fallen back to sleep.

…

Mordred opened the door to his Kings champers, not surprised that they were all still there. He told them what he had seen. They were shocked, but glad that Merlin was better. They decided to talk to her in the morning, this time without her running off. They wanted to apologize, to tell about how they all felt - insert obvious Leon here, everybody know about how he feels - and try to become friends again. They knew that Merlin made a mistake by not telling them, but they should have been better at talking to her, and they should have said something when they found out. They knew this, and they knew Merlin did too.

…

The next morning they were all called to a meeting with Queen Nasuada. When they came in, she was in a hushed conversation with one of the nobles, both looking a bit upset. When they noticed them, the noble stepped back, fuming, and Nasuada quickly put on an indifferent mask. Arthur didn't fail to notice the two figures standing in the shadows. One of them Eragon, and the other was obviously Merlin, unless she had some unknown twin. Both of them wearing the same expression, bored, showing their relation. Then the Queen spoke.

"Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, I have thought long and hard about your offer. It's been a hard decision, thinking about how your late father's rule was. Many of my counsellors have spoken against my decision, but I have made it none the less."

They all sucked in a breath, fearing that the Queen did not agree with them, that she didn't want the same as them.

"I have decided to _accept_ your offer of alliance, Arthur Pendragon, and I hope that it may serve both our kingdoms well." She smiled at them, their grins almost splitting their faces.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I hope so too." His relief was clear in his voice, but he didn't care. He glanced at Merlin, who was wearing her own grin, and nodded, trying to convey what he wanted. As she nodded back, he could see understanding in her eyes. She whispered something to Eragon and then walked out. Nasuada then dismissed them, telling them to stay as long as they wanted. She had some angry nobles to take care of.

' _Come to the field outside the castle. Ask for directions if you need it.'_ Merlins voice suddenly sounded in his head.

' _How the hell are you in my mind?!'_ Arthur shouted in his head.

' _Ow! My head! Your minds are like open books. That's how. I'll be waiting.'_ Arthur felt something leave, and couldn't reach Merlin anymore.

After getting lost a few times, they all finally managed to reach the field. On the other end, Merlin was waiting, leaning against a white dragon. The dragon itself was laying on ground. She smirked at them, and walked towards them.

"Took you quite a while. Did you get caught in a bush or something, Prat?" she chuckled slightly. "I know that what I said the other day wasn't exactly fair. I was shocked, scared. I didn't want you to hate me, and along the way, I only managed to hate myself." She stopped a few steps away from them, looking at ground.

"It's okay, Merlin. We understand. Besides, we could never hate you." Arthur said, smiling at her. She smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you. I still need to apologize to you. I kept secrets from you for years, making you all think that you knew me, and then I just left, without explaining. I am truly sorry. Please forgive me!" she said and bowed deeply.

"Stand up, _Mer_ lin! You look so weird doing that!" as she did, he went to her and hit her upside the back of her head. "That will teach you not to doubt your friends!"

"Sure, if you say so _sire_. Your _Prat_ ness needs to learn not to be a clotpole." She mock glared at Arthur, making him laugh.

"Idiot."

"Dollophead. See? I won. I tricked you. I made the most insults." Arthur just raised an eyebrow. "Aaargh! Stop doing that! You look like Gaius!" she half-shouted, making them all laugh.

"Good to have you back Merlin." Elyan said.

"Good to be back. Or at least, have my friends back."

"You aren't coming back with us, are you?" Mordred asked, making everybody look at him. Merlin just smiled sadly.

"No. I have a new life here, and I don't know what to do otherwise." Everybody looked sad. "But, if Nasuada feels the need to send an ambassador to Camelot, I won't mind taking the job." A sigh of relief ran through the entire crowd. Merlin then looked confused.

"Wait. You said that you could never hate me, right?" she asked, looking straight at Arthur, her eyes slowly getting more… hurt? Angry?

"Yes. Why?"

"Then why the hell did you banish me?!" her voice was showing that she was in fact angry.

"I never hated you! I was just… hurt. Hurt that you didn't tell me before. That I had to find out on my own."

Silence hung in the air, as his statement sunk in. Arthur could only watch as his former maidservants face shifted through several emotions, before settling on understanding, and shame.

"I'm sorry Arthur. The reason for me not telling you, is that during your fathers reign, he would have had me killed, and I didn't want to stand between you."

"Why not after he died then?"

"Don't you remember? 'All magic is evil. I will never lose sight of that again.' Ring a bell?"

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh. Besides, I have a report to listen too. You can stay if you want, as it has a lot to do with you, but it's going to take a while as the dam lizard can't speak normally." They laughed at this until they heard wings flapping from afar.

…

It was in the middle of dinner, and the hall was full of laughter, when the double-doors was almost pushed of the hinges, as a worn out Merlin stumbled in. she leaned on the wall as she tried to formulate some sort of explanation.

"Report… Camlann… army… dark magic… Saxons… danger… attack… Camelot…" was the only words anyone could understand.

"Merlin? What army are you talking about?" the Lady Morgana asked, looking confused. She wasn't the only one, Leon mused. Everybody had the same expression on his or her faces. They all waited in silence until Merlin got her breath back.

"Camelot is in danger. A large army of Saxons and dark sorcerers have gathered at Camlann. They are preparing to attack, only waiting for the leader to arrive."

"Who is the leader?" Arthur asked, using the voice he normally used in front of council members. Merlin looked him straight in the eye, with a look no one had seen before. Pure hate.

"Morgause."

And hell broke loose.

The next morning, the Camelotians were all ready and set to go. All the formalities were passed, the horses saddled and goodbyes were exchanged. Arya had convinced a few of the elves in the city and a few of the other magic users to help them get back home. They were going to use magic to transport them back inside Camelot's borders. When they all left to prepare for the strong magic, Merlin went up to them one by one and hugged everyone goodbye. When she reached Leon as the last, she seemed to hesitate for some reason. She then did something that shocked Leon. She kissed him. Before he had time to react, however, she stepped back and put her hand to his chest.

"Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse skoliro frá rauthr. Wiol pömnuria ilian!"

"Merlin? What-?" Leon was cut off.

"The others are ready. It's time for you to go home." She smiled sadly, and disappeared into the crowd as a giant whirlwind surrounded them. The next thing they knew, they were on the edge of the Darkling Woods, facing towards the city. The entire ride home, Leon found it impossible to wipe the silly grin of his face. Even if he had to stand the endless teasing from the others (mostly Gwaine and Arthur).

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They finally kissed! Or, well, she kissed him! Yay!

Did anyone get the Percy Jackson reference? Please tell me if you did!


End file.
